In the city of Jiujiang in east China's Jiangxi Province, real-time monitoring systems are playing a prominent role in protecting the environment, under broader environmental efforts from cities along the Yangzte River.

Jiujiang lies at the junction of Poyang Lake and the Yangtze, China's longest river. The city, which contains two-thirds of the lake's surface area and 152 km of Yangtze riverbank, has poured significant efforts into improving water quality with smart technologies.

"The water quality here has a big influence on downstream cities along the Yangtze River," said He Yanqiang, an official with the Yangtze Ecology and Environment Co., Ltd., adding that sewage disposal is an important aspect of environmental protection.

In 2018, the China Three Gorges Corporation launched a project in Jiujiang to protect the Yangtze River, involving the establishment of a number of sewage disposal plants equipped with real-time monitoring systems.

The city launched a related project to renovate its underground pipe network, aiming to reduce sewage leaks in the area.

"We use closed-circuit television to investigate the network of underground pipes one by one, fixing leaks as they are found," said Kuang Rongfa, deputy director of Jiujiang's city administration bureau.

Jiujiang is now exploring the construction of a smart pipe network that will allow the supervisory department to track water quality throughout the city.

Further improvements are evident in the city's Pengze County, where a real-time monitoring system has been installed at several local enterprises, helping the government supervise eco-friendly industrial production.

Jiangxi Changfeng Industrial Co., Ltd, which runs a quarry in the county, is making use of the system. It can provide real-time data on local environmental factors, including temperature, humidity, PM 2.5, PM 10 and noise.

"The supervision department will receive an alert if any item exceeds the standard," said Yang Heping, deputy general manager of the company.

With sci-tech solutions being implemented along the Yangtze River, cities like Jiujiang can look forward to cleaner water and a healthier environment.